The present invention relates generally to drink coasters and, more specifically, to a coaster that can be manipulated into various positions. It is well known in the art that drinking or eating vessels (herein collectively referred to as vessels), such as cups, mugs, glasses, and bottles, can cause damage to surfaces of furniture due to the heat from the vessels' contents or the condensation that may be produced by the vessels' chilled contents. Accordingly, the drink coaster was invented decades ago to guard surfaces from the damaging effects of these vessels and their contents. The art has continued to develop over recent years with introductions such as the Non-stick Drink Coaster (U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,873), Compact Disc Drink Coaster (U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,669), Sandal Drink Coasters (U.S. application Ser. No. 13/669,443), Electronic Drink Coaster (U.S. Pat. No. 7,353,136), and Attachable Beverage Coaster (U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,525).
These developments signify a shift from focusing purely on the functionality of a drink coaster to a more decorative nature. In another section of the art, there is a focus on dual functions such as the Drink Coaster and Air Freshener (U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,272). Clearly, there is a need for drink coasters that serve other functions in conjunction with protecting furniture surfaces from damage. Thus, it is one object of the present invention to provide a drink coaster with more than two uses. The preferred embodiment accomplishes this by having a first configuration, a second configuration, and a constant decorative nature.
The preferred first configuration, for example, may function solely to protect furniture from damage caused by a vessel. A second configuration may also function in the form of a cute novelty item or decorative trinket. Regardless of the configuration, the preferred drink coaster always provides viewers with a decorative nature which can be appreciated when in use or when stagnant. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a decorative coaster for use with vessels containing either hot or cold liquids that will prevent damage to furniture supporting the same.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the complete description thereof in combination with the following drawings.